this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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While they were happy with what the fairphone 4 brought to the table, they seem to like what was changed for the fairphone 5.
What are you guys' opinions on this? A welcome change? would you get one if your phone died within the next year?

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[–] [email protected] 133 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Too bad they don't sell them in the US. I would buy one immediately.

[–] [email protected] 82 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Amazing.

I'm sick of buying a new phone every three years because the battery is dead or the processor is slow, nothing can be replaced without it being wildly expensive and now it's a paperweight.

[–] [email protected] 69 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To be fair, I don't think the Fairphone will help much with outdated processors. You can't upgrade the processor inside, and it comes with a relatively slow processor from day one.

This phone is not for people that need performance; it's a very basic phone for people that value an ethical supply chain and repairability.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Relative slow my arse imo.Its all about use cases and the (potential shitty) apps you run. Been using the fp4 just perfectly fine for months, and before that the one plus x on android 11 just fine.

I would like to know what apps you use that would need the speed of anything besides the "best"?

( and for anyone wondering, one of the reasons you cant switch processor is because of the imei thats burned in. Changing that basically means that the whole id of the phone changes, including links to your mobile provider. It isnt allowed in some places )

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Lately I've been playing Need For Speed Underground 2 on the AetherSX2 emulator. A Fairphone absolutely cannot do that.

Look bud, I'm not trying to attack Fairphone, you don't need to be defensive. I'm just setting expectations that this is not a phone for people that need a high performance processor. The chipset is low-end, objectively. I'm sure it's fine for people who don't care about that stuff.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Seriously. What mobile games are worth time or money? Aren't they all just pay to win now?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I can emulate PS2 and GameCube games on my S23. It's pretty great. My S21 struggled with that, so any Fairphone would definitely not be able to do that, as it has significantly less processing power.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If that's the sum total of your reasons for needing a more expensive, less free, less repairable phone, then I have nothing left except to laugh at you.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No, I just don't have the time to explain the hundred obvious ways that a fast processor might benefit somebody, so I chose a single, INCREDIBLY obvious item near the top of the list for most people, and was hoping that I wouldn't get follow-up idiotic responses like this. But alas!

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I used an 11 year old phone for about 6 months while I waited to get a new phone. I never had any problems with processor speeds despite having about 60% the processing power of a then-current phone.

I think people vastly overestimate the need for a bigger better processor.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I never said that everybody needed a fast phone, or even that MOST people need a fast phone. I would agree that most people don't. I was replying to somebody that said their old phone was slow, and informing them that the Fairphone is probably not a solution to that specific issue because of its budget processor. It's not a performance phone; it's an ethical phone that does basic things perfectly fine.

I don't know who you're arguing with, and I don't think you do either.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I'm arguing with you, genius, because I think you're wrong.

There are not a "hundred obvious ways that a fast processor might benefit somebody", as you stated. There aren't really any good reasons. Games are a stupid reason. Everything necessary works fine with an older processor. It's not the 2000s anymore where software bogs down any computer older than three years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum, What might be right for you, may not be right for some. -different strokes

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Great news, really hope the 5 is next.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That and supporting grapheneos would do it for me

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The Fairphone 4 supports /e/.

It seems graphene is limiting itself to Pixel devices. The developer is also mostly a one man show, so I don't think he has the capacity to support many devices. He's probably just busy keeping up with Pixel devices as-is.

What I would like to know is, how do /e/ and GrapheneOS compare.

Can't really find info on that.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Calyx Os supports the FP4 and announced support for the FP5

That just to be said.

I have e os on FP4 and I would describe my experience as follows: Do you want to switch from IOS to Android without loosing the style of the launcher and gain some privacy? Go for it

If you want an Android that does a lot for you and give you tools like a vpn, a tracker blocker ect... Go for it

If you want to customize your experience (e.g. have an "normal" Android launcher, switch accent colors ...) ? You get a very rocky experience to say the best.

And at least for the FP4, some stock apps like the Cam were just not working, but to be fair it seemed like that was a suppychain problem...

I consider changing to calyx Os, expecting to get a more customizable Android.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is e os able to use all the camera lenses? That's one problem I have with custom roms, they're often unable to hook into the camera API in order to use anything other than the main back and front camera

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Had to check real quick: Yes in the current Version of the stock cam it does recognise all cameras and even takes snappy pictures. That was the problem before but it seems to be patched.

Anyways due to this problem i switched to gcam

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Such a shame that this kind of issue is a thing in the first place. I'd love to use a Fairphone and slap DivestOS on it, but potentially losing two lenses I paid for isn't great at all

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think that should work, due to DivestOS being a fork of LinageOS just like eOS, and in fact the camera of eOS is just the cam of LinageOS (thats what i meant with supplychain problem). So i assume that DivestOS might just have the same camera app as eOS

But you could probably confirm that by looking into the repos

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Now that you say it, I've never thought about the default cam, I've always been using OpenCamera

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeaa but the open tool being sold for profit they are not my go to apps anymore...

But I still need to switch my calendar to the newly made fork

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Do you mean simplemobiletools? OpenCamera is not part of that, I believe theirs is called Simple Camera

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ohh you are right, I mixed that up...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So I just installed the default lineage cam again, and would you look at that, it can use both lenses on my OnePlus 5T. Would love to have more manual controls though.

Thank you so much for reminding me this app exists

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes that's what drove me to gcam

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh well, having aurora store installed for one single app isn't worth it to me. My second lens is for night mode shots, and I barely use that. It's just nice to have access to it at all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I actually installed gcam via apk

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

True, that's an option too. Just not one you can trust as much, which is what turns me off.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They limit themselves to Pixel devices because they have by far and away the best hardware security. Same reason for Calyx.

It's mostly definitely not a one man operation and the guy you're likely referring to has left the project.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thanks, today I learned.

How do Calyx and Graphene compare?

I see Calyx does support Fairphone.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I would like that as well. In fact I'd like to switch to Calyx, but from eOS.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Check out iode.tech as well. Like /e/OS, also a lineage OS variant but with build in firewall which you can customize (or turn off). Fast security updates and great default informed FOSS apps (unlike /e/OS).

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's more up to the grapheneOS devs

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

True, but part of the reason they don't go for it is hardware things that are missing

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

For me, the problem was that they don't support the right bands for US carriers.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm able to use Mint Mobile here in the States on my Fairphone 4. I believe 5 would also be compatible.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I appreciate you mentioning that, thats how I'm considering using the 5 if it ends up as my phone replacement, but I have a hard time interpreting the info around wireless frequency bandwidths supported 🙃 I like pretty user interfaces, networking hurts my brain

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The FP4 (sold by Murena in the US) has a decent spread of bands, and works pretty well. Feel free to PM me if you want more detail.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

That's not fair

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I've being following Fairphone since 2013, waiting for them to sell to Taiwan. After a years of waiting, in 2019 I just said fk it and bought one from official store, ship it with international packaging forwarding service. Couldn't be happier with my Fairphone ever since.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I generally try to check every few years to see if they sell to the US yet. Last I checked they would finally ship FP4 to the US, but it will only work on T-Mobile :/ gonna check back in a few more years.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Well if you're on ATT or any of it's mvno's good luck ever using any devices that isn't on their approved list. I can't even use my carrier unlocked Oneplus 7T. Really the only choice for device freedom in the "land of the free" is T-Mobile.